Method for checking the yarn pattern in a fabric

ABSTRACT

The pattern of a greige fabric containing yarns having different dye affinities and different oleophilic properties is checked by a process which can be quickly carried out and does not require removal of any fabric from the knitting machine or loom. In this process an emulsion of an oil and either an alkanol or water is applied to the fabric and at least partially dried. A solution of a fugitive tint is then applied to the fabric and as a result of the oil pretreatment different amounts of the tint are deposited on each type of yarn forming a pattern on the fabric from which the relative positions of the yarns can be determined. This process is particularly useful in determining whether a warp knitting machine has been correctly rethreaded after a plurality of adjacent yarns have broken.

United States Patent [1 1 mmweew- METHOD FOR CHECKING THE YARN PATTERN IN A FABRIC [75] Inventors: Bruce M. Latta, Bloomingdale; John J. Willard, Jr., Fair Lawn, both of [73] Assignee: J. P. Stevens and Co., Inc., New

York, NY.

22 Filed: 0a. 30, I972 211 App]. No.: 301,928

1,964,169 6/l934 Bowman 8/l8 2,207,696 7/l940 Robinson 8/l8 3,663,262 5/1972 Cogan 8/164 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Uhler, Rayoj and Synthetic Textiles, 9/49, pages 95 and 96, 8/164.

June 24, 1975 Primary Examiner-Donald Levy Attorney, Agent, or FirmMichael T. Frimer; Charles Stein 57 ABSTRACT The pattern of a greige fabric containing yarns having different dye afi'mities and different oleophilic properties is checked by a process which can be quickly carried out and does not require removal of any fabric from the knitting machine or loom. in this process an emulsion of an oil and either an alkanol or water is applied to the fabric and at least partially dried. A solution of a fugitive tint is then applied to the fabric and as a result of the oil pretreatment different amounts of the tint are deposited on each type of yarn forming a pattern on the fabric from which the relative positions of the yarns can be determined. This process is particularly useful in determining whether a warp knitting machine has been correctly rethreaded after a plurality of adjacent yarns have broken.

6 Claims, No Drawings METHOD FOR CHECKING THE YARN PATTERN IN A FABRIC FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a method of checking the pattern of a greige fabric containing yarns having different dyeing properties and different oleophilic properties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is common practice to prepare fabric from yarns having different dyeing properties and then to crossdye the fabric to obtain a pattern. In order to identify the different yarns during handling they are generally tinted different colors by means of fugitive tints which are removed when the fabric is scoured prior to dyeing.

Despite the use of tinted yarns problems of yarn identification frequently occur in the knitting and weaving of fabric. A particularly serious problem arises as a result of yarn breakage in warp knitting. When a yarn breaks during warp knitting often one or more adjacent yarns also break and it is then necessary to rethread each yarn to the correct needle or the cross-dyed final product will have the wrong pattern. It is difficult to match the tinted yarns within a warp knitting machine and generally after a plurality of adjacent yarns have been rethreaded, the pattern of the subsequently knitted fabric is checked. This checking is carried out by stopping the machine, cutting out a piece of the fabric and then dyeing this piece of fabric. The disadvantages of this procedure are that the knitting machine is stopped for a considerable length of time while the removed piece of fabric is being dyed and the fabric in the vicinity of the cut out piece must be discarded.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a method is provided whereby the pattern of a fabric containing yarns of different dyeing properties is quickly checked without the necessity of removing fabric from the knitting machine or loom. There is applied to the knitted fabric an emulsion of an oil with either an alkanol, preferably of one to six carbon atoms, or water, and the fabric is at least partially dried. There is then applied a solution of a fugitive tint following which the fabric is dried. By this procedure the different yarns are tinted to different degrees and the yarn pattern is readily seen.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Yarns which have different dyeing properties and are suitable for use together in the preparation of crossdyed fabrics generally have different oleophilic properties. In the present invention the yarn pattern of fabrics prepared from yarns possessing such properties are checked prior to cross-dyeing. The procedure is particularly advantageous during warp knitting after a plurality of adjacent broken yarns have been rethreaded on the needles.

In carrying out the procedure of this invention there is first applied to the fabric an emulsion of oil and either water or an alkanol, preferably containing one to six carbon atoms. The fabric is then at least partially dired. The emulsion breaks and as the liquid with which the oil had been emulsified evaporates, the oil migrates to the different yarns to an extent depending upon the oleophilic properties of each yarn. A solution of a fugitive tint is then applied and the fabric is dried. As a result of the different oil coatings on the yarn, each type of yarn is tinted to a different extent and a pattern is formed which clearly shows the relative positions of the yarns.

The oils used in the emulsion are preferably vegetable oils, although mineral oils such as ligroin can also be used. Illustrative of suitable vegetable oils are coconut oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, linseed oil, olive oil, poppyseed oil, sunflower oil and tall oil. Preferably the oil is emulsified with a relatively fast-drying alkanol such as methanol, ethanol and isopropanol.

The fugitive tints which can be used in practising the present invention are those now commonly used to mark individual yarns. Such fugitive tints are disclosed in US. Pat. Nos. 3,154,534 and 3,l54,535, issued Oct. 27, I964; US. Pat. No. 3,157,633, issued Nov. l7, I964 and US. Pat. No. 3,507,850, issued Apr. 21, 1970, as well as an article by Hans Kuhn in the American Dyestuff Reporter of Oct. 4, 1964, pages 864-867, and DuPont Technical Information Bulletin, D-2l8, issued Oct. 1968. The fugitive tints are applied from a solvent and it is preferable that the solvent be one that dries relatively rapidly, such as a mixture of an alkanol of one to four carbon atoms with a minor amount of water. If the fugitive tints are applied without the oil pretreatment, little or no pattern develops.

The fugitive tints and oils applied by our process are removed from the fabric along with sizing materials, spin finishes and previously applied fugitive tints in the scouring step conventionally carried out prior to dyeing. Typical scouring procedures are described in the above-mentioned DuPont Technical Bulletin. To assist in the removal of the oil during scouring, an emulsification system for the oil can be applied to the treated area of the fabric after the pattern has been checked to keep the oil from setting in the fabric. An example of such an emulsification system is one containing 47.5% by weight of water, 47.5% by weight of a low molecular weight petroleum distillate such as mineral spirits and 5% by weight of detergent based on alkyl benzene sulfonates.

Illustrative yarns which can be present in fabrics checked by our process include yarns of polyester, polyester modified to be basic dyeable, nylon, Orlon acrylic fiber, rayon, cotton, wool, cellulose acetate and blends of the above.

EXAMPLE An oil emulsion was prepared by mixing equal volumes of corn oil and isopropanol together with one percent by weight of an octyl phenoxy polyethoxy ethanol, non-ionic surfactant (Triton X-IOO). This emulsion was applied to a sample of warp knitted fabric containing yarns of regular polyester, basic dyeable polyester and wool. The treated area was allowed to dry for about one minute and then to the same area there was applied a five percent solution ofa red polyethyleneoxy fugitive tint dissolved in a mixture of 98% by weight of isopropanol and 2% by weight of water. As the solution dried there developed a pattern in which the regular polyester was lightest, the wool was intermediate and the basic dyeable polyester was darkest.

It will be apparent that many modifications and variations may be efiected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention and the illustrative details disclosed are not to be construed as imposing undue limitations on the invention.

We claim:

1. A process for checking a pattern of a greige fabric containing yarns having different dyeing properties and different oleophilic properties, after a plurality of adjacent yarns have broken during production of said fabric on a knitting machine or loom and said broken yarns have been rethreaded using fugitive tints on the yarns for identification, said process comprising applying an emulsion of an oil and either an alkanol or water to an area of fabric containing said rethreaded yarns without removing said area from the fabric being produced by said knitting machine or loom, allowing said fabric to at least partially dry whereby the emulsion breaks and different amounts of oil migrate to the yarns having different oleophilic properties, applying a solution of a fugitive tint to said fabric and drying said fabric whereby a color pattern is developed by the overtinting in which the color is dependent on the amount of oil on each yarn.

2. A process for checking the pattern of a greige warp knitted fabric containing yarns having different dyeing properties and different oleophilic properties after a plurality of adjacent yarns have broken during production of said fabric on a warp knitting machine and said broken yarns have been rethreaded using fugitive tints on the yarns for identification, said process comprising applying an emulsion of vegetable oil and an alkanol of l to 6 carbon atoms to an area of the greige fabric containing said rethreaded yarns without removing said area from the fabric being produced by said warp knitting machine, allowing said fabric to at least partially dry whereby the emulsion breaks and different amounts of the vegetable oil migrate to the yarns having different oleophilic properties, applying a solution of a fugitive tint to said fabric and drying said fabric whereby a pattern is developed by the overtinting in which the color is dependent on the amount of oil on each yarn.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein said oil is a vegetable oil.

4. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein said oil is emulsified with isopropanol.

5. The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fugitive tint is dissolved in a mixture of isopropanol and water.

6. A process as claimed in claim 2 wherein said alkanol is isopropanol. 

1. A PROCESS FOR CHECKING A PATTERN OF A GREIGE FABRIC CONTAINING YARNS HAVING DIFFERENT DYEING PROPERTIES AND DIFFERENT OLEOPHILIC PROPERTIES, AFTER A PLURALITY OF ADJACENT YARNS AHVE BROKEN DURING PRODUCTION OF SAID FABRIC ON A KNITTING MACHINE OR LOOM AND SAID BROKEN YARNS HAVE BEEN RETHREADED USING FUGITIVE TINTS ON THE YARNS FOR IDENTIFICATION, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING APPLYING AN EMULSION OF AN OIL AND EITHER AN ALKANOL OR WATER TO AN AREA OF FABRIC CONTAINING SAID RETHREADED YARNS WITHOUT REMOVING SAID AREA FROM THE FABRIC BEING PRODUCED BY SAID KNITTING MACHINE OR LOOM, ALLOWING SAID FABRIC TO AT LEAST PARTIALLY DRY WHEREBY THE EMULSION BREAKS AND DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF OIL MIGRATE TO THE YARNS HAVING DIFFERENT OLEOPHILIC PROPERTIES, APPLYING A SOLUTION OF A FUGITIVE TINT TO SAID FABRIC AND DRYING SAID FABRIC WHEREBY A COLOR PATTERN IS DEVELOPED BY THE OVERTINTING IN WHICH THE COLOR IS DEPENDENT ON THE AMOUNT OF OIL ON EACH YARN.
 2. A process for checking the pattern of a greige warp knitted fabric containing yarns having different dyeing properties and different oleophilic properties after a plurality of adjacent yarns have broken during production of said fabric on a warp knitting machine and said broken yarns have been rethreaded using fugitive tints on the yarns for identification, said process comprising applying an emulsion of vegetable oil and an alkanol of 1 to 6 carbon atoms to an area of the greige fabric containing said rethreaded yarns without removing said area from the fabric being produced by said warp knitting machine, allowing said fabric to at least partially dry whereby the emulsion breaks and different amounts of the vegetable oil migrate to the yarns having different oleophilic properties, applying a solution of a fugitive tint to said fabric and drying said fabric whereby a pattern is developed by the overtinting in which the color is dependent on the amount of oil on each yarn.
 3. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein said oil is a vegetable oil.
 4. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein said oil is emulsified with isopropanol.
 5. The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fugitive tint is dissolved in a mixture of isopropanol and water.
 6. A process as claimed in claim 2 wherein said alkanol is isopropanol. 